As a photographer and doula, Trina Cary constantly sees how incredible the female body is and just how strong new moms are. But this photographer from Canada also knows that not every mom feels empowered during her postpartum journey, especially if she's breastfeeding, and Cary wants to change that. In order to capture this magic while working in Australia, Cary invited a group of diverse nursing moms for a beach photo shoot — and how the day progressed is nothing short of breathtaking.
Cary's shoot wasn't originally supposed to be nude, but one mom asked if she could strip down.
"I literally could not stop smiling when one of them asked me if she could take her clothes off," she tells CafeMom. "Of course that was my plan all along, but for them to instigate it made me SO happy. #freethenipple, baby!"
And slowly, the rest of the group felt inspired to join in.
"The best, most magical part was, once she got naked, one by one, two by two they all peeled their clothes off and ran together, embracing and loving each other. I couldn't wipe the smile from my face," she wrote on her blog. "I just love it when strangers come together and support each other's journeys and bodies. The whole evening was oozing with empowerment, support, and love."
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Although Cary isn't a parent herself yet, she admires new moms and wanted to celebrate them.
"I did the breastfeeding session because I freaking love women," she tells us. "I am a photographer but also a birth doula, so breastfeeding is close to my heart. Though I don't have children yet, I definitely will one day."
So she invited a group of diverse moms to Kawana Beach for the photo shoot during a full moon.
Cary planned her photos around the idea of capturing the full moon, but storm clouds blocked her original vision. Still, the shoot turned out to be even more powerful than she imagined because of the connection these moms formed. "Fourteen beautiful, wonderful, and empowering women came out to my event. Some friends, some strangers," she says. "Every time I get a group together I am floored by their ability to befriend and accept one another so freely. I just LOVE being a part of it."
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The moms were all at different points in their breastfeeding journeys, with little ones at different ages.
There were a variety of ages represented, with some kiddos 18 months and older. "I was absolutely ecstatic to see these mothers breastfeeding, and not just newborns," she told Love What Matters. "I am flattered to hear their journeys and realize that for some of them, it wasn't an easy one. I hope when women see these images they smile and laugh. I hope they can feel the love that is radiating through these women; strangers that became friends through supporting and encouraging each other in one evening of feeding their little ones together."
They know that breastfeeding isn't easy for every new mom, so they shared their own struggles to help women feel less alone.
__"__My breastfeeding journey was so incredibly hard at the start. Reuben has a lip and cheek tie, intolerances (I had to cut foods from my diet), and feeding was so painful to begin with. I would dread having to feed him, knowing that he wasn't able to get what he needed, efficiently, and the pain that it caused me," mom Chiara Cramer told Cary for her blog. "We've been feeding successfully for a whole year now, and I don't see us stopping anytime soon! I love the bond we share, and the comfort it brings him, as well as the nutrition it provides!"
Another mom shared that she had to bottle-feed just weeks into her breastfeeding journey because her nipples were so cracked and bloody.
"I shed many tears but was determined to persevere. Now Bella is 9 months and feeding is second nature," Leilani Power said. "I wanted to celebrate how far we've both come."
After one mom's baby ended up in the NICU, she worried they'd never be able to breastfeed.
"Spending a week without skin-on-skin and without having her breastfeed, I was scared our connection and her instincts to suck would be lost," Bliss Madgwick said. "I sat there holding her in my arms for 24 hours, 100 percent skin-on-skin, so tired I couldn't open my eyes. I was determined to give Luna everything she needed. Starting with breast milk. Eight months later, still breastfeeding strong!"
Cary has had to deal with some social media backlash for sharing these photos and stories.
"I've had a couple issues with Facebook censorship with nipples, baby bums, etc., and have been banned for some reason multiple times. So once again I am fighting against Facebook/Instagram's censorship guidelines," she tells us. "My goal is to empower and spread love throughout this world; we need less judgment and more acceptance."
But the moms don't care, because each of their unique journeys deserves to be seen and heard.
__"__I breastfeed because it empowers me as a parent to be able to provide my children with the best nourishment they will ever have," one of the moms explained for Cary's blog. "I breastfed my first for 2.5 years and plan on going as long as I can with my second. Breastfeeding is just another example of the magic that a woman's body brings to the world!"
As the photos prove, these moms are strong on their own and even stronger together.
"I want the women in this world to come together. I want to create a powerful, raw, open, and loving community in my photography. If I can help women learn to love their stretch marks, extra skin, lumps and bumps, I will!" Cary adds. "We are all beautiful in our own way and we need to stop comparing ourselves to one another. We are all unique and that's okay. What's important is that we support and encourage each other to see the beauty inside ourselves."